Conversations
by HeyAssButtImBatman
Summary: While Draco is in the infirmary, he and Harry talk. Companion piece to Draco Draconem.
1. Chapter 1

"Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean what you said about putting the past behind us?"

"Of course. If I didn't, then why would I say it?"

"I don't know. So you do want to, then?"

"Want to what?"

"Put the past behind us."

"Oh, yeah."

"Good."

Draco extends his hand.

"My name's Draco. Draco Malfoy."

Harry reaches out and shakes Draco's hand, smiling.

"Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you, Mr Potter."

"Call me Harry."

"Hmm, no. I don't think so."

Harry snorts. "Alright, then."

"...Potter?"

"Hmm?"

"What made you want to start over?"

"...Teddy, actually."

"Teddy?"

"Yeah, Teddy. Last Sunday, he told me about how you're teaching him to do spells and such, and I thought that anyone kind enough and with enough patience to teach a five-year-old to do magic is the kind of person who I'd be proud to call my friend."

"..."

"You aren't the same person that I met all those years ago at Madame Malkin's, M- Draco. You've grown up, matured."

"Thank you, Potter. And I suppose that you aren't as big a git as you were back at Hogwarts."

"Wow. Thanks, Draco, that means a lot to me."

"I aim to please, Potter."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Draco?"

"What?"

"You're a teacher at Hogwarts, right?"

"Hmm."

"Are you also the Slytherin Head of House?"

"Potter, are you insinuating that just because most of our peers thought I was the living embodiment of the Slytherin House that I'd automatically become the next Snape?"

"...Maybe."

"Unbelievable."

"So, you're not the Head of Slytherin?"

"Of course I am, don't be ridiculous."

"Then why get all pissy about me assuming?"

"Because you know what they say about assuming, Potter. And besides, I only accepted the position because if I hadn't, Theodore Nott would have been asked instead."

"That git is a professor? What does he teach?"

"Ancient Runes, if you can believe it. He's actually quite brilliant when it comes to his subject. It's every other aspect of life that he's incompetent in."

Harry snorts.

"I can believe that. So, are you the next Snape?"

It's Draco's turn to snort.

"Hardly. I like to think that I'm more fair than my godfather, but everyone else will say that I'm biased towards my House."

"Who isn't?"

"Exactly! My poor little freaks. They'd be so lost without me."

"Draco, I'm sure they'd be fine."

"No, you don't understand. If they had Nott, or any other Slytherin as a House Head, they'd end up like I did."

"...Meaning?"

"Meaning, I'm slowly trying to teach my kids that blood status isn't everything, that just because every Dark wizard was a Slytherin doesn't mean that every Slytherin is a Dark wizard. It doesn't help that the entire school treats them like they're all evil."

"...Like everyone at Hogwarts treated you and all the other Slytherins, you mean."

"I was only treated the way I was because of how I acted. By the time I learned that I wasn't better than Weasley or Granger or anyone else just because both of my parents were rich and magical, it was too late for me to undo the damage I'd done. I'm trying to make sure that the next generation of Slytherins doesn't do the same."

"That's very good of you."

"Yes, well, it's also very exhausting. I like to think I've made a lot of progress with the Slytherins, but the other houses still don't treat them like they're a part of the student body. Just last month one of my First Year girls was reduced to tears because a Hufflepuff Sixth Year told her that she'd never amount to anything better than a Death Eater. All she had done was laugh when her friend tripped."

"That's terrible."

"Tell me about it. I invited her to my office and gave her tea, but it was still almost half an hour before she managed to compose herself."

"I can't believe a Hufflepuff said that to her. Hufflepuffs are supposed to be the nice ones!"

"See what you did just now?"

"What?"

"Stereotypes. Generalization. It's not good. Hufflepuffs aren't 'the nice ones', as you so innaccurately put it. Hufflepuffs aren't sorted into their house because they're nice, just like Ravenclaws aren't Ravenclaws because they're smart."

"What is it, then, that determines what House you go into?"

"What you value. Someone could be the smartest eleven year old in their whole year, but if they think that being brave and chivalrous is the most important thing to them, they'll become a Gryffindor."

"Like Hermione."

"Exactly. Ravenclaws value knowledge and learning, Gryffindors value daring and courage, Hufflepuffs value loyalty and fairness, and Slytherins value ambitiousness and cleverness. It's not the Slytherins' fault that their House is based off of traits that make the best Dark wizards."

"Wow. That's pretty deep, Draco."

"I know. It took me almost an hour to think all that up."


	3. Chapter 3

"Potter. Potter. Pooooooooootter."

"Oh my God, Draco, what?"

"My fingers are really long. Look, they're like snakes. _Hssssssss._ "

"...How much pain potion did they give you?"

"Six."

"Six what?"

"Six."

"Alright, then. Are you okay?"

"I'm dandy. Fine. Great. Superb. Outstanding. Wonderful. Magsifinent."

"Okay, I get it."

"What?"

"What?"

"What did you get? I wanna knoooooow!"

"No, I mean I understood what you were saying."

"Oh, good. What was I saying?"

"That you were fine."

"Oh! I am fine. I'm more than fine. I'm outstanding. I'm wonderful. I'm-"

"Stupefy! Sorry, Draco."


	4. Chapter 4

"I cannot believe you Stunned me."

"Don't be such a baby. You're fine, aren't you?"

"That isn't the point! It's the principle of the thing. You don't just go around Stunning people, especially not when they're all loopy on pain potions!"

"But I Stunned you _because_ you were all loopy on pain potions."

"Merlin help me, Potter, I swear I will rip off your dick and make you eat it."

"...Surprising."

"What?"

"I thought you'd be a prude about all things related to sex."

"Seriously? Why?"

"Well, because you're from a huge pureblooded family, and you had your weird pureblooded family rituals and shit, and I thought that such talk was frowned upon in polite society."

"It is. But who cares? If I want to talk about my sex life, who's going to stop me?"

"You can't talk about something that doesn't exist, Draco."

"We were just talking about your dick, though."

"...Low blow."

"You started it!"

"Yeah, and I can finish it, too!"

"Potter, what would Charlie think if you punched poor, bedridden torture-survivor Draco Malfoy? He'd be so disappointed!"

"...I hate you."

"Love you, too."


	5. Chapter 5

"What are you reading?"

"A book."

"What's it called?"

"It doesn't matter, because I doubt you'd know what it is."

"I want to know, though!"

"Fine. It's called _101 Ways to Murder a Chosen One_."

"...If you didn't want me to know, you could have just told me."

"I did, but you can read subtle social cues as well as you can read German."

"How do you know? I could be fluent in German."

"Really? Sie sind der größte Idiot ich je getroffen habe."

"You speak German?"

"Yes, just a little. I am fluent in French, though."

"Of course you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, Mr Oh-I'm-So-Special-I-Can-Speak-Multiple-Languages-Look-How-Cool-I-Am."

"...Are you five?"

"..."

"Oh, my God, you are. Alright, stop sulking. If you want, I can teach you a little bit of French."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay."

"Okay. Um… Mon nom est Harry Potter et j'adore à manger de la merde."

"Mon nom est Harry Potter et j'adore à manger de la merde. Did I say it right?"

"Your pronunciation was atrocious, but it was passable."

"What did I say?"

"My name is Harry Potter and I love to eat shit."

"... I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a book over here with my name on it."


	6. Chapter 6

"Do you still play Quidditch?"

"What do you think, Potter?"

"I think… that you do."

"And why would you think that?"

"Well… because you're not, um, overweight… and you, er, have pretty defined… muscles?"

"...Is this your way of telling me that you think I'm fit?"

"...Shut up."

"Oh, don't worry, Harry, I think you're fit, too."

Draco winks at Harry, who blushes scarlet. He only realizes later that Draco called him Harry, not Potter.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you okay?"

"Mmmm."

"What's wrong?"

"'M just tired. We were just out for a really long time trying to find the poachers."

"No luck?"

"No."

"I'm sure you'll find them eventually."

"Yeah, I know. I just want to find them _now."_

"Trust me, I know. But they can't stay hidden forever, especially not if they want to introduce more dragons into the fights."

"...Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you petting me?"

"What? Oh! Sorry. It's just, I have a cat, and I'm used to petting her whenever she gets upset. Old habits die hard, I guess."

"I never said you had to stop. It felt nice."

Draco cautiously threads his hand through Harry's hair, and the Auror sighs happily.

"So, you have a cat?"

"I just said that, didn't I?"

"What's her name?"

"Her name is Flummox."

"You named your cat _Flummox_?"

"Well, yes. Problem, Potter?"

"Why?"

"Because when I first got him, Pansy was flummoxed. She didn't think I was a cat person, you see."

"That's preposterous. You are the most cat-like person I have ever met. Ow! I have a sensitive skull, stop pulling my hair."

"I'm not a cat, Potter! If anyone is a cat, it's you. I'm not the one draped over your legs, having my hair petted."

"Well, maybe I'm only letting you pet me because I think you miss your cat."

"I don't need your charity. Besides, Flummox behaves much better than you."

"Oh, well sorry for my second-rate cat-ness."

"Mmm, you're forgiven."

"How gracious."

"I thought so."

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"I have been reliably informed that I am, indeed, a 'real piece of work', though not in such terms."

"There's a story behind this, isn't there?"

"Not really. Pansy calls me her retarded princess sometimes, especially when I'm being stupid and/or spoiled, as she once told me."

"So, all the time, then? OW! Again with the hair pulling?"

"You do realize the amount of power I have in my hands right now? I could pull out all of your hair. _All of it._ "

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?"

"No."

"And what makes you so sure of that?"

"You love my hair."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"How did you arrive to that conclusion?"

"You haven't stopped petting it. Admit it, you loooove my hair."

"..."

"OW! Jesus, stop!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh, my God! Are you okay? Why are you bleeding?"

"It's nothing, Draco, just a scrape."

"Let me see it."

"What? Why?"

"Just let me see it, Harry."

"...Fine. There, see? It's not even deep."

"What happened?"

"...I, um, may or may not have fallenoffmybroom."

"You fell off your broom?"

"Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm sorry, I can't! I can't believe that the youngest Seeker in a century fell off his broom."

"Yeah, yeah. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go get this healed and then find some nice company."

"Wait, hold on."

"What?"

"Give me your arm."

"Why?"

"Just give it here."

"...How did you do that?"

"Healing spells aren't difficult, Potter."

"No, I know. I've had to do them countless times. But you did it nonverbally, and without a wand. That's incredible!"

"Obviously."

"How did you learn to do that?"

"...Let's just say that it was a necessity given the types of people staying with my family in Sixth Year."

"Sixth… oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't do anything. And besides, it comes in handy a lot now. Potions accidents are far more common than you'd think."

"Right." Draco offers Harry a small smile and the Auror smiles softly back, and for a moment neither of them moves. "Uh, I should - go. I mean, not that I, er, want to leave you here, but, you know, duty calls, um… and all that."

"You are about as smooth as chunky peanut butter."

"Shut up."


	9. Chapter 9

"Draco."

"Potter."

"Why are you standing up?"

"...Are you asking me why people stand up?"

"Shut up. You know what I mean. You're supposed to be resting."

"I feel fine, Potter, stop patronizing me. The broken bones and cuts and bruises have all been healed, and all the blood I lost has been replenished."

"That's not the point, Draco. You should still be in bed."

"Yes, mother."

"Draco, I'm serious. Why are you being so stubborn?"

"What's the big deal? I just want to take a walk, Potter. I don't like being cooped up."

"...Fine. But at least take someone with you so that if you pass out in the middle of the hallway you won't just lie there until someone finds you."

"Are you volunteering, Potter?"

"...I guess I am. Come on, then."

"Where are we going?"

"Well, you're the one who wanted to go on this stupid walk, so you tell me."

"Mmm, how about the mess hall? Let's go see what they're making for dinner."

"God, you're just as bad as Jellybean."

"So I've been told. Now, let's go."

"How do you propose we get to the mess hall?"

"...Are you doing this on purpose to annoy me or are you really that stupid? We Apparate, Potter, obviously."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because you're still recovering, and Apparating is jarring, to say the least, on a good day."

"I'm not some fragile damsel-in-distress who's going to faint at the first sign of stress."

"Could've fooled me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that you're the perfect height to be a damsel-in-distress."

"What? Shut up! I am a perfectly respectable height!"

"Right, of course. I'm still taller than you."

"Shut up, peasant, you only have two inches on me. Didn't anyone ever tell you to respect your elders?"

"Elders?"

"Yes. I am older than you, didn't you know?"

"By one month and twenty-six days!"

"Mmm, I'm still older. Don't worry, youngster, at least you have your height."

"...You know what, I think Apparating is a great idea. Grab on, I'm not letting you Apparate by yourself in this condition."

"You're making it sound like I'm pregnant, or something."

"Could've fooled me."

"Rude!"

 _Crack!_

"Potter, this isn't the mess hall. Why are we-"

"Why are we in the toilets? Because I knew this would happen. I told you Apparating like this was a bad idea. But did you listen to me? Nope. So you can kneel there and know that you're throwing up because of your own stubbornness."

"...Potter, shut up."

"Of course, my damsel."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Right. Is this before or after you finish puking?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Obviously not."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on, don't be petulant."

"I'm not being petulant!"

"Draco, you're pouting."

"I am not."

"And now you're sulking. Just tell me what happened."

"...Harry, am I trustworthy?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Nevermind. It was a stupid question."

"No, Draco, wait. Of course you're trustworthy. Why do you ask?"

"Because according to some people around here, I'm nothing but a 'no-good, lying, two-faced Death Eater', and that's all I'll ever be."

"...Who said that to you?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?"

"No, you're right. It doesn't matter, because they're wrong. You may have made some very bad decisions in the past, but I can understand why you did what you did. And you've changed. You're not the same bratty little bastard you were all those years ago. I trust you. I trust all my friends."

"...Do you mean that?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"Thanks, Harry."

"You're welcome, Draco."


End file.
